


The Awkward Club

by httpjunbob



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Band Fic, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Unrequited Love, awkward junbob
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:06:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25202149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/httpjunbob/pseuds/httpjunbob
Summary: Junhoe is avoiding Jiwon like a plague for some reasons. Because they are awkward. Or it’s that time in middle school where Jiwon kissed his girlfriend.
Relationships: Goo Junhoe/Kim Jiwon | Bobby
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29





	The Awkward Club

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy, my beloved Nation. We are bountifully served by #Junbob and it’s so nice to see everyone rejoicing! Truly the epitome of my HOME 💙💜
> 
> This story was inspired by the manhwa I am currently reading, Window to Window.

Junhoe hurries down his white Terra when he saw Jiwon’s Vios pulling over at the parking lot too. He needs to head first or they’ll take ten minutes to let the other go first. He jogs all the way to the lift and swiftly presses the button for their floor. 

_The awkward club._ That’s what the guys call the two of them because they can’t stand each other being alone or being too close even in front of their group. Junhoe feels uncomfortable around Jiwon because he has been harbouring unrequited admiration towards the guy since their middle school. 

Too bad the guy is not aware or is being oblivious about it. They have been the closest duo inside the group. The guys often teases them for their too much closeness. But one day, when finally he decided to look towards other people because he knows he stands no chance for Jiwon, he caught his girlfriend kissing Jiwon in one of the empty classrooms of their school. 

He didn’t feel hurt nor betrayed; he doesn’t really like Soora. But he can’t stomach rejecting someone because he already knows how it feels like not to receive the same feelings you have for someone.

Before the doors of the elevator closes, a hand stopped it from closing showing Jiwon who is panting heavily. _Damn!_ Junhoe curses inside his head. And almost immediately, anunbearable silence whips around them like rain pouring in.

“Hey” Jiwon mutters softly, Junhoe almost miss it making him respond a lazy “Yeah” while roaming his gaze to everywhere except for Jiwon’s reflections on the small cramped box where they are in. 

When the bell chimes in, Junhoe sprints quickly towards their unit leaving a completely baffled Jiwon inside the lift. “Where’s Jiwon?” Jinhwan asks as soon as Junhoe steps inside the apartment. “Outside” he shortly answered before taking hurried strides to his room. 

He can’t stop his self from doing what he always do; avoiding Jiwon like a plague. Maybe as a defense mechanism to not fall deeper towards the guy but Junhoe knows it’s useless because the more he distance himself, his heart grows fonder for him.

_“Why do you keep avoiding him?” Hanbin asks one time when Junhoe is washing the dishes he used in the sink. “Avoiding who?” He asks back, feigning his ignorance. After that, he hears Hanbin heaving a defeated sigh. “You know what, I’m done watching you being a sore loser!”_

_Junhoe shakes his head and cups his hand under the running water and throws it towards the other man. “Wow, says the guy who also fears for his secret desire!” Junhoe snarls teasing the know-it-all man. “What does my personal dilemma have to do with your ugly relationship with Jiwon?” Hanbin is already in defense. “Hanbin, before you educate me, have the decency to confess to Yunhyeong first.” Junhoe blurts out rolling his eyes 360 degrees._

_Funny it is, but his best friend is also nursing an unrequited love towards their other friend. And realizing it, both of them heaves a sad long sigh while leaning on the kitchen sink. “I guess, we both are losers in love.” Junhoe says chuckling._

Junhoe is about to doze off when he hears a few knocks outside of his door. “What is it?” He asks pulling himself up to sit on top of the bed. “Have you forgotten that we will have a session tonight?” Chanwoo inquires peeking his head on the door frame. Junhoe bites his lips from the memory lapse. “Can I take a rain check, I still have a lot to do for my pre-lims.” He reasons out but Donghyuk busts his door open wider and tugs him on his arm. “We are not taking no for an answer. Come on it’s just a few rounds.” 

Without a fight, he gives up and let the two pull him to the music room. Why is he even friends with these bunch of people? He’s blaming his parents for this. It’s their whole idea to let the seven of them live together! 

They are in a seven-man band; Junhoe also wonders why and how did it happen. But Hanbin asked them all one day to gather at their favorite kiosk at the school and showed them his compositions. It just all happen that all of them are musically inclined that they promptly established the band right there and then. And because he and Jiwon are the biggest best friends in the world, they named the band after them. The Awkward Club. 

Hanbin, as the songwriter, also took the pianist role, Jinhwan as the main vocalist, Junhoe as the second vocalist and guitarist, Donghyuk on the lead guitar, Yunhyeong as the rhythm guitarist, Chanwoo as the bassist and Jiwon on the drums. For a few years, they have been playing and recording for fun and that will stay that way. They have so many personal hopes and dreams and music will just be as a hobby.

“What are we singing tonight?” Junhoe asks after he pick up his guitar. “For You” the five chorus making both and Jiwon stop on their tracks. Fuck all of you! Junhoe mouthed at the rest when Jiwon started warming his hands up with the drum set. The guys snickered at him teasingly. 

It was an open secret, his feelings for Jiwon. Because his brain to mouth filter always break down, one night when he got drank crazily, he asked Jiwon about his oblivion for his feelings. Luckily, the next day after, Jiwon blacked out and remembers nothing which Junhoe feels thankful for the odds. But, his friends saw all of it. Everything he did and said, they were all safely tucked in Yunhyeong’s gallery which he can’t erase because it has a twenty-eight character code!

But Junhoe is thankful to his group. Although they tease him endlessly, they never fall ahead of him in telling his feelings for Jiwon. The only demerit is that they are also waiting for his move to confess and it makes him pressured to do it. Like today, whenever For You plays, Junhoe can’t help but to pour all his feelings in singing the song. The song was their ‘love story’ in a nutshell.

The three taps of Jiwon on his drumsticks signals the start of their session and the melody from Hanbin’s piano fills the soundproofed room. Then the guitars start to blend in the rhythm and Jinhwan starts to sing the words. 

“Why do you always love to sing For You?” Jiwon asks Junhoe after their session. The seven of them are seated in circle each holding a can of beer. Junhoe’s school works are long forgotten. 

Everyone fell silent on Jiwon’s question, the six pair of eyes settle on Junhoe who is about to sip on his can. “What?” He confusedly asks when he notice their expectant stares. 

“Why do you love to sing that song?” Jiwon repeats sounding determined to hear the other man’s answer. The five other men are shooting a known look at him. Almost immediately, he fell anxious; his hands getting clammy and his heart thumping rapidly. “I just love it. There are no particular reason.” He said unconvincingly then he hurriedly gulps the liquid inside the can down and rises to his feet. “I’ll go ahead first.” He bid to go to his room but his tipsy consciousness led his feet in to the bathroom instead.

The six men follow Junhoe with a stare before everyone heave a sigh. “What did you do? Why does Junhoe act that way in front of you?” The eldest of them ask the million dollar question everyone have been wanting to ask the guy. But Jiwon doesn’t also have any idea why. 

“You, two, have been the closest. What happened to the both of you?” Yunhyeong presses Jiwon more. All the man can do is to take a swig of his beer and heave a deep sigh while swallowing the alcohol down his throat. “Because he caught me kissing his girl in middle school?” He answers coolly, shrugging his shoulder. 

“Why did you do that?” Donghyuk chimes, astonishment is evident in everyone’s face. Clearly, Junhoe hasn't told them about it. 

With that question, Jiwon remembers that one time in middle school where he and Junhoe is just casually sitting together alone at the far side of their classroom. 

_“Have you kissed Soora?” Jiwon asks as he lay his head on top of his table. He watch as Junhoe furrow his eyebrows to think for an answer. “I haven’t.” With the man’s answer, Jiwon felt elated. He has been loving the man since their elementary years but he can’t get his self to confess his feelings. They have been good friends and Jiwon fears for the only link he has for Junhoe. He can’t give the friendship up so he chooses to stay just within his reach._

_But when he learned about Junhoe having a girlfriend, he can’t suppress the pain in his chest. It was so excruciating and palpable. He wanted to confess right there and then but the fear of falling apart with Junhoe scared him. So he let Junhoe go out with Soora even thought it was painful to watch it happen._

_“What do you like about her?” Jiwon asks once again while watching the man has his eyes_ _close. “I don’t know.” The man answers. "It’s just that Soora confessed that she likes me and I can’t turn her down so that’s what happened.”_

So if Soora stops liking Junhoe, would they break up?

_Jiwon breaks into a grin at the thought. He continued to admire the man as if he is trying to memorize everything. Junhoe has been so pretty. But he looks more ethereal up close. The way his thick threaded brows frame his almond shaped eyes, his long nose is adorable and those pink pouty lips... “would you like me to kiss you?” That question made Junhoe’s eyelids fly open._

_“What?!” Junhoe asks in bewilderment. But Jiwon musters all his courage and stare at the man’s eyes in all seriousness. “Would you like me to kiss you?” Jiwon saw panic in Junhoe’s eyes for a moment before it disappeared and was changed with unexplainable glee which drove Jiwon to inch slowly towards Junhoe until his lips felt the man's warm and moist ones._

_It was euphoric. The kiss sends a thousand shiver down Jiwon’s spine but it was only short lived when their classmates from gym suddenly flooded in to their room. Both of them shot_ _their heads down the table, both having their whole face and ears red from the horror._

_Later on that day, Jiwon called Soora on a vacant room and purposely led Junhoe there so he can witness it. But Jiwon failed to think about what would Junhoe acts once he sees it._

“Jiwon, are you okay?” Jinhwan asks fanning his hand on his face. His trip down to memory lane is cut right there and then. He nods to assure his friends but all of them still has an unassured look on him. 

“Why don’t you resolve your issues tonight once and for all?” Hanbin suggests which the other approves of. “He is in the bathroom, I don’t know what he is doing there but he’s taking a while.” Chanwoo presses. “One, two,” Yunhyeong starts counting down and everyone moves when he reached three. In a swift movement, Jiwon is being carried by the five of them and forcefully laid him down on the cold bathroom tiles.

“Fuck that hurts!” Jiwon grunts but he is only answered by a loud thud of the door and a few clicks of lock. “Get me out of here, bastards!” Jiwon says while pounding the door. 

“Who are you and why are you shouting?” Junhoe whines on the bathtub. He is already sleeping on the dried tub, feet dangling on air. Jiwon almost ran out of words to say. The man looks hilariously miserable. “This is Jiwon.” 

“Oh” Junhoe responses and attempts to straighten his body to sit. “Come here. I’ve got a million questions that I can’t answer on my own.” He taps the side of the tub for Jiwon. The man can’t quite make up if Junhoe is still tanked or if he is already sober. “Come on quick!” He whines while tapping the same place in urgency. 

As soon as he sits on the cold tile, Junhoe grabs him by the collar and starts to spit questions out. “Why did you do that? Why did you kiss me and later on kissed Soora? It’s not that I got hurt by it but your kiss made me confused. And up until now, you are still confusing me, Jiwon. Why are you being so oblivious? Why can’t you reciprocate my feelings. Why can’t you love me too?” Jiwon hold the man’s hands tightly. “Why do you always make it hard for me?” 

“Do you want to stop feeling that way?” Jiwon asks in sincerity. He searches for Junhoe’s gaze and looks at him seriously.

“What?” 

“Do you want to stop feeling confused?” Jiwon repeats, this time to clarify it.

“What should I do?” Junhoe ques back his hands slowly slides down Jiwon’s chest.

“Be honest to yourself and answer my question. Do you love me?” Jiwon prompts making Junhoe freeze. What Junhoe knows is that he completely blacked out that time when he confessed. But no, Jiwon heard everything, he knew all of it. But he just wants Junhoe to say it properly when he is sober, when he is completely certain about it. 

So it took him all this time to wait. And maybe, just maybe it was worth it. That Junhoe is worth the wait. 

Junhoe falls silent with the unexpected question. He is weighing things down if it’s worth a shot or if he is to lose his friendship with Jiwon. And both scares the hell out of him. He prefers the safest option but his tons of what ifs holds him back. He loves Jiwon. And he will continue to love him no matter what happens. 

So he musters his courage to confess once and for all. Maybe, now is the time to be honest with his self. He heaves a deep breath. “Yes, I love you. And please, don’t break my heart.” He says shutting his eyes tightly. But Jiwon did not budge at all. He opens his eyes one by one but before he can open the second one, Jiwon pulls him for a tight hug. 

“I was just waiting for you to tell me those words, Junhoe. And yes, I love you too. I would never break your heary. So can we start things all over again?” Jiwon asks tightening his grasp on him.

“No” he answers making Jiwon looks at his eyes with a cloud of discouragement. Junhoe smiles and lifts his hands to cup Jiwon’s face. “We don’t have to start all over again, Jiwon. We just have to move forward but this time, us being together.” And he pulled the man in for a long sweet kiss. 

This is too good to be true. And Junhoe is being brave. This is just the start but he knows it will be forever. 

“How are you lovebirds?” Donghyuk asks the next morning after unlocking the bathroom door. Jiwon steps out first tugging Junhoe’s hand behind him. The two chuckles leaving a dumbfounded Donghyuk in font of the bathroom and passing through a perplexed Hanbin at the couch making Jinhwan choke on his coffee at the kitchen and Yunhyeong spilling the hot water off his mug on the hallway and greeting Chanwoo sitting inside his room with his mouth widely open a good morning and a middle finger. 


End file.
